A Visit from Dr Janina Ramirez: Historian and Broadcaster
On Tuesday evening, LEH and Hampton historians were lucky enough to welcome Dr Janina Ramirez, Oxford University professor, historian and broadcaster.
Familiar tales from women’s perspectives
The medieval world is frequently presented through familiar stories of kings, knights and battles, but the experiences and achievements of women are equally important to our understanding of the period. In her talk, Dr Ramirez explored the ways in which women have been misremembered throughout history, using Joan of Arc and female warriors in the medieval and Viking worlds as fascinating examples.
As Lower 6 avid historians, students Milana and Aoife commented,
She challenged us to rethink how we understand the past, asking us to look beyond traditional historical narratives and uncover the stories, experiences and voices that have too often been overlooked.
Her talk was engaging from start to finish, and it was brilliant to see her enthusiasm and passion for her subject come through so strongly. One specific moment the girls found particularly interesting was the story of Grave Bj.581 about a Viking warrior grave in Birka, Sweden, containing weapons like a sword, axe and spear. For years, archaeologists assumed the warrior was a man because of the weapons. However DNA testing in 2017 showed that the skeleton was biologically female, causing backlash over whether she was actually a warrior.
The discovery challenged the idea that women only had traditional roles in Viking society. Further, it gave more recognition to the idea that women were strong, powerful and involved in roles usually associated with men.
Dr Ramirez’s retelling of history was both illuminating and empowering, and we are incredibly grateful to her for encouraging all of us to question how women’s stories have been recorded and passed down through the ages. Her enthusiasm was infectious, leaving us inspired to look more critically at the past and to explore our own studies with renewed curiosity.
